Michael Taylor has dedicated his career to food safety, according to the Washington Post, and now Taylor will get to continue this career path as he takes on a new position in the Obama Administration as the deputy commission for foods. According to the Post, this is a new position that makes food more relevant in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has been criticized for leaving food behind over the years and focusing on drugs and medical devices.After 2009, this is no longer the case—the past year has seen numerous food recalls for pathogens like E.coli and salmonella that have sickened thousands of Americans and led to the death of dozens of citizens. Given this, both the administration and congress have been calling for tougher food safety laws, and in fact, the House of Representatives did pass a food safety bill in 2009, but the Senate failed to do so.
The legislation Congress is tinkering with would give the FDA “vast new authority” to make sure the nation’s food is safe. If and when final legislation is signed by the president it will be Taylor’s job to implement the new laws and regulations and work towards preventing food-borne illness outbreaks rather than reacting when they occur.
Last month Taylor told FDA staffers that, ‘“We are at an historic tipping point---a moment when the forces have aligned like never before; the president, Congress, industry and the public have stepped up their support for our mission [.]”’
The FDA is familiar territory for Taylor. He worked as a staff attorney for the agency in 1976 before joining the firm that represents Monsanto Corp. In 1991 Taylor came back to the FDA as deputy commissioner for policy. In that position the Post reports that Taylor “pushed through requirements that producers of seafood and juices adopt measures to prevent bacterial contamination . . . and Taylor was partly responsible for a controversial policy that said milk from BGH-treated cows did not have to be labeled as such.”
In1994 Taylor joined the US Department of Agriculture to run the department’s food safety program. Taylor then went to work for Monsanto as a vice president for public policy before moving on to a think tank and teaching job at George Washington University.
Taylor hopes to streamline the FDA’s monitoring and reporting process across the three sectors that deal with food regulation. Taylor did stir up some controversy earlier this year when he tried to ban the sale of raw oysters from the Gulf between April and October unless they have been treated to “kill a potentially lethal bacterium.” After facing opposition from Gulf Cost lawmakers the FDA decided to study the issue more before acting. Taylor says the agency is just regrouping.
Given the amount of news involving food safety issues and the upcoming congressional action, Taylor looks to be a busy man in his new role.
To read the Washington Post article click here.
Posted: 01/15/10
